“Game on” today out west, which signals a turn toward spring weather and our upcoming departure! Please see the attached packing list for the trip, and make sure you put your kit together well in advance of the trip. If you plan to bring a camera, videocam, etc., make sure you become very familiar with its operation, and you know how to quickly use it in low-light conditions. For example, I filmed a great storm out the window of the van years ago, only to find out later that the auto-focus gave me a great picture of the raindrops on the window instead of the tornado outside. I can laugh about it now, but at the time I can assure you I was not amused!

Packing: it is absolutely imperative that everyone pack light. The vans are laden with technology, and everything else must be packed in the back so that we have a clear route in and out of the vehicles in case we have to move in a hurry. Pack light! A 12″ x 24″ duffle/gym bag w/ shoulder strap is perfect. packing list

Departure Information:

Trip 1: will depart from the Surge Parking Lot on campus at 9:00am on Monday, May 18. Initial return date will be Friday, May 29. Keep in mind that if the pattern is active, we may opt to extend our stay a day or two (we aren’t leaving a Moderate Risk in the TX Panhandle behind!), so keep your schedule open for an additional couple of days beyond the planned return date.

Trip 2: will depart from the Surge Parking Lot on campus at 9:00am on Monday, June 1. Initial return date will be Friday, June 12. Again, please keep your schedule open a couple of days beyond the planned return date in the event we extend the trip.

I will send out more information via e-mail to the crew as departure approaches. Seven weeks and counting…

As we are currently watching the nor’easter blow by and feeling the strong northwest winds wrapping around the cyclone, we need to remember it won’t be long before we have our sights set on a storm of a different nature. Take it from past crew members: once you return from break in early March, departure for the trip seems to arrive very quickly! In the meantime, look for e-mails, announcements and other postings as we head toward May and our time in the field. Welcome aboard! -Dave

Applications for the 2015 Virginia Tech Severe Storms Field Course are now available! If you are interested in joining the crew in the Great Plains for 2015, please read the information below and on the application very carefully!

The time is now upon us to begin planning for the 2015 course, and we hope to have the crew finalized by the end of November this year. Our emphasis on safety and education will continue unabated. and once again we will roll westward in search of severe storms. The tentative window(s) for the 2015 trip will range from May 17 – June 12. Depending upon the mix and number of applicants, we may run two trips. The storms dictate the trip, and if a favorable weather pattern is occurring, we may extend a trip to take advantage of it. Flexibility is key, therefore each applicant must have this entire window of time available!

You will find the updated application and trip information in the attachment below. If you are considering applying for a position with the 2015 chase crew, please keep these things in mind:

a) This trip is NOT for everyone…only those with a true passion for severe thunderstorms and tornadoes should apply. It is a long and arduous journey, and if you are not committed to the study of severe storms, then you may well feel as if YOU should be “committed” by trip’s end!

b) Keep in mind the nature of the trip: it is an academic exercise…not a vacation. Every crew member will serve various duties on the trip, and full cooperation is not only desirable, it is mandatory. When entering a severe weather set-up, everyone must be “dialed in” for efficiency as well as for the safety of the entire crew.

c) Expect some “down time” between storms. It is impossible to forecast what type of pattern we may see any given year, but most years we do experience a lull in the action which may last for a day or two…or maybe a week. PATIENCE is a prerequisite for this trip. Forecasting and intercepting storms can be a frustrating affair: busted forecasts, unfavorable terrain, unreachable storms, or dangerous locations can all play a role in whether we can safely reach a storm. Be prepared for adjustments on the fly that are dictated by conditions in the field.

d) If you fear storms, please do not apply, and don’t undertake this trip for therapeutic reasons! The near-storm environment is a volatile place, and most crews have to weather some intense or occasionally even frightening moments during their shifts out there.

So, if you are certain this field course is for you, fill out the application form and either drop it by 101 Major Williams, or send it via e-mail to carrolld@vt.edu.

We hope to complete the selection of the 2014 field crew before the end of the semester. Applicants will be selected based upon their response to the application question (why do you want to join the chase?), and background coursework in meteorology. If you lack the background courses, those interested are still encouraged to apply, as the primary prerequisite is a driving passion for severe weather and everyone is given full consideration (the plan is to keep an “at-large” space or two open for non-majors).

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me carrolld@vt.edu, or stop by 101 Major Williams, or call 231-5469. I’ll answer any questions you have to the best of my ability

VT Storm Chase Application 2015The crew members will be selected by the end of November. If you are interested in the 2015 trip, be sure to submit your application no later than November 24.

A supercell approaches our position near Sterling City, Texas, on Memorial Day.

We’ve been back nearly 2 weeks now, settling back into life in Virginia, and even seeing some local storms of note. In the meantime, co-leader Chris White has put together some narratives with photos of our chase trip on Facebook, linked below.

The trip was a challenge without our long-time leader, VT meteorology instructor Dave Carroll, who was unable to travel due to last-minute contingencies. But it was successful, with more supercell intercepts (7) all but 1 or 2 of our trips in the last decade, and at least 1 confirmed tornado. We didn’t see that one obvious backlit “Wizard of Oz” type tornado but saw plenty of storm structure to amaze us in completely open terrain far from populated areas.

My thanks to all for the success of 2014 Storm Chase. Looking forward to 2015

The Hokie Storm Chasers arrived back in Virginia after traveling 5,500 miles through 15 states, tracking 7 supercells, seeing at least 1 confirmed tornado (Wyoming) plus 2 or 3 other possible tornadoes. There will be more photos and review of the trip in the days ahead, but now we take a respite after an amazing trip!

We were close to three different supercells on Memorial Day in west Texas. The storms fired along the outflow boundary of a morning cluster of storms farther north. When storms’ downdraft winds hit the surface, they fan outward, and the edge of where this outflow reaches is often conducive to developing spin in the atmosphere which can be ingested into a storm’s updraft and make it rotate. We followed one storm northwest and north of Big Spring, Texas, then dropped down to another to the south near Sterling City, Texas, then waited south of there for a third to pass by just before sunset. There were reports of brief tornadoes within the supercells,b ut we did not see them from our viewing points.

A few Internet issues are keeping me from posting many photos this mhttp://wordpress.com/post/orning in Rankin, Texas (you’ll have to Google it, it’s a tiny town southwest of San Angelo, right in the middle of an oil/gas boom). Will hope to get some up in the next day or two. Until then, be sure and check @hokiestorm on Twitter.